Five motoring organisations and charities have been awarded government grants to help them to reopen and recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Funding came from the second round of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Culture Recovery Fund, which offered £400 million to 2,700 arts, culture and heritage organisations.

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The Silverstone Experience Museum only officially opened on 6 March 2020, before being forced to close just 12 days later. It was awarded £785,700 from the fund.

Sally Reynolds, chief executive of the museum, told Motoring Research it suffered from “three long periods of closure” as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. These resulted in “a very limited time to welcome customers and build our cash reserves”.

Reynolds added: “We are extremely grateful to the Culture Recovery Fund for recognising the difficulties this has caused and for awarding a grant. We are now focused on getting ready to open our doors to visitors from 17 May and are very much looking forward to a busy and successful summer.”

MotoFest Coventry, which organises motoring-themed events in the city, was awarded £20,000, and James Noble, MotoFest Coventry festival director, told Motoring Research the money will enable the team to “start planning for a Covid-secure event in 2021.”

He added: “We are delighted that the government has recognised the important work that MotoFest Coventry does in protecting and showcasing our mobile heritage. MotoFest Coventry is unique in demonstrating the significant role that automotive heritage plays in providing a context for future transport innovation and we look forward to showcasing that ethos when MotoFest returns in July and August with its new month long programme of events.”

The Heritage Skills Academy, meanwhile, has been given £19,000 by the government.

Owain Johns, development director at Heritage Skills Academy, said that without the grant and support “it would have made things very difficult for us”. The money will enable the organisation to continue to train apprentice engineers.

While the apprentices have continued to learn remotely during the pandemic, Johns said the amount of hands-on experience has been reduced.

“Ultimately, we can catch up the lost learning and maximise the chances of apprentices passing their courses and thriving in the industry and having a career that will make a difference because of the grant. Without the grant, the chances of them falling by the wayside or being disillusioned could have had a really detrimental impact.

“The recognition there are a number of small and niche providers who are part and parcel of a much bigger picture is really powerful. If we – and others – hadn’t had support the future of heritage would look bleak, but it looks a lot brighter as a result.”

Full steam ahead

Alex Masters, chairman of the Robey Trust, a charity that preserves, restores, operates and displays steam vehicles, told Motoring Research that his organisation has cancelled its steam fair for two years in row.

“This is our major source of income and we’re not looking at any steam rallies until September, so we’re getting into 18 months of restricted income,” he noted. The charity has been awarded £9,700 and the money will be used to complete a general overhaul of a steam roller that was bought for the town of Tavistock, Devon (where the charity is based) in 1925 and remains there to this day.

Masters told us that despite the charity “effectively still being in the 2019 winter maintenance period” the lockdowns have enabled trustees to complete important work. “We’re trying to make sure that when we go back to normal, we’re going to go back in better. Instead of seeing this as an impediment, we’re seeing it as a great opportunity to do all the tasks that have been outstanding because in normal times we’re too busy attending rallies or organising steam fairs.”

Dominic Taylor-Lane, founder and managing director of the Association of Heritage Engineers, also welcomed a focus on smaller charities: “It’s nice for the DCMS to turn around and go ‘Look, we haven’t heard of these guys before, they’ve put a reasonable case together and we think they are part of the heritage ecosystem’. It’s one of those things where they are starting to look outside of the box because we have got to present a united plan.”

His company has been awarded £4,400 by the government and he said the money will be used to enhance the firm’s appearance at events: “This particular funding was effectively to get heritage moving again post-Covid. It will enable us to put on an even more professional appearance at shows and to help get the message out there.”

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Almost 1.2 million learner drivers are waiting to take their driving tests – and it is estimated clearing the backlog could take eight months.

That’s according to data compiled by vehicle insurance company Marmalade which calculated 1,160,000 learners are waiting to take their test.

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The firm added this problem is further compounded by a long-running decline in the number of driving instructors, claiming there has been a reduction of 2.3 percent in the last year alone, down to 38,778.

Based on these figures, each UK driving instructor is currently working with 30.46 learners each, meaning instructors are over-capacity by 55.81 percent and “incapable of tackling the backlog efficiently”.

Driving lessons are set to restart from 12 April in England and Wales, while learners in Scotland must wait until 26 April at the earliest.

Driving tests in England can resume from 22 April.

‘1 in 5 learners haven’t had a test rebooked’

The insurance company added that of the learners it surveyed in March who have had tests cancelled in the last year:

• 33 percent reported not having one rebooked until four months later
• 22.5 percent have seen them postponed for six months
• 15 percent have a wait of seven months or more
• 20.4 percent haven’t had a rebooked test at all

“The ongoing lockdown restrictions over the past year has hit so many learners, many of whom are young people who have felt a considerable impact from the pandemic,” said Crispin Moger, CEO of Marmalade. 

“An inability to book driving tests and learn, for some, has led to isolation, a loss of opportunities in work, education and a huge blow to finances.

“This backlog and lack of capacity in the industry indicates ongoing challenges to get learners on the road to freedom. My hope is that many learners can find ways around the challenges and the industry can recruit more well-needed instructors.”

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Gloucester and Tebay services have been named the UK’s best motorway service stations, according to a survey conducted by Which?

According to a poll of 2,700 people, the top three services are owned by the Westmorland group, with Gloucester (on the M5), Tebay (on the M6 at the edge of the Lake District) and Cairn Lodge (on the M74 in Lanarkshire) ranking first, second and third in the table.

Gloucester scored a rating of 86 per cent, gaining five stars for cleanliness, range and quality of its shops and food outlets, as well as its range of facilities.

Tebay scored 83 per cent and Cairn Lodge was given a rating of 69 per cent.

At the other end of the table was Bridgwater on the M5, owned by Moto. The service station received just 32 per cent, and was awarded just one star in every category.

According to Which?, recent visitors described it as “dirty” and “depressing”, and others complained of a urine smell and toilet paper strewn on the floor, while another simply said it “should be demolished”.

 ‘It pays to plan ahead’

“The results of our survey show that it pays to plan ahead to avoid some of the UK’s worst motorway services,” said Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel. “It could be the difference between a home-cooked meal in peaceful surroundings, or crowded queues in downright dirty facilities.”

“Whether you’re zipping down the M5 towards the beaches on the south-west coast, or up the M6 towards the Scottish border, make sure your journey isn’t spoiled by a stop at a shoddy service station.”

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Nissan Leaf prices have been cut by up to £5,265 to ensure every version remains eligible for the revised £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant.

Both battery versions – 40kWh and 62kWh – still qualify for the grant, meaning the most expensive Leaf e+ Tekna version now costs £32,445 once it is taken off.

This compares to a previous range-topping price of well over £37k.  

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Cheaper versions have been reduced too. Nissan Leaf prices now start from £25,995 for the 40kWh Acenta: that’s a saving of £1,350.

This, claims Nissan, means the Leaf is now the most accessible EV family hatchback on sale.

The longer-range 62kWh e+ range (its EV driving range is 239 miles) now costs from £30,445, once the Plug-in Car Grant is subtracted.

Nissan is even offering 0 percent PCP finance on e+ N-Connecta models, with monthly payments from £299.

The deal is a three-year term and requires a customer deposit of £4,718.

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March 2021 new car registrations grew for the first time since August 2020 with sales in the plate change month rising 11.5 percent.

The turnaround came despite retailer showrooms remaining closed due to the pandemic – although the figure is still a hefty 36.9 percent off the 10-year average figure for March.

A total of 283,964 new cars were registered: the usual run rate for the March new car registration month is around 450k vehicles.

Showrooms will finally reopen on 12 April but in embracing ‘click and collect’, car manufacturers and retailers have provided a lifeline for the automotive industry.

Even so, trade body the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders expects further sales growth when car dealers reopen as click and collect “does not offer the same experience and excitement as a showroom”.

Dealers will be hoping they can start to recover some of the £22.2bn in lost turnover since the pandemic took hold in March 2020.

EVs continue charge

Plug-in vehicles hit their highest-ever sales last month, with battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models taking a combined market share of 13.9 percent.

This is almost double the figure of a year ago – and when hybrid vehicles are added in too, electrified vehicles commanded a 21.4 percent share of the new car market.

Compared to a year ago, BEV sales were up 88.2 percent and PHEV sales rose 152.2 percent.

A growth in fleet car sales – where there are favourable tax advantages for electric cars – helped the surge in electrified vehicles.

Diesel, in contrast, plunged to a 19 percent share.

“The past year has been the toughest in modern history and the automotive sector has, like many others, been hit hard,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.

“However, with showrooms opening in less than a week, there is optimism that consumer confidence – and hence the market – will return.

“We know we will see record breaking growth next month given April 2020 was a washout, but a strong and sustainable market is possible if customers are attracted to the choice and competitive offer the industry is able to provide within the safest of showroom environments.”

March 2021’s top new cars

The Vauxhall Corsa continued to lead the best-sellers chart, ahead of the Ford Fiesta and Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Tesla sprang one of its frequent sales surprises in taking fourth with its enhanced Model 3, beating the Nissan Qashqai, BMW 3 Series and Volkswagen Golf.

The award-winning Toyota Yaris was eighth, ahead of the Ford Puma and Mini.

The Vauxhall Corsa is also leading the year-to-date sales, again ahead of the Ford Fiesta, with the British-built Nissan Qashqai – which is replaced later in 2021 – in third.

Top 10 best-sellers – March 2021

1: Vauxhall Corsa

2: Ford Fiesta

3: Mercedes-Benz A-Class

4: Tesla Model 3

5: Nissan Qashqai

6: BMW 3 Series

7: Volkswagen Golf

8: Toyota Yaris

9: Ford Puma

10: Mini

Toyota has modified its Land Cruiser 4×4 to be capable of carrying refrigerated vaccines in developing countries.

The conversion has obtained the (deep breath…) Performance, Quality and Safety prequalification for quality of medical devices and equipment – as set by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the first refrigerated vehicle for vaccines to gain approval.

Fitted with a B Medical Systems CF850 vaccine refrigerator, the Land Cruiser can transport 396 litres, or 400 vaccine packages at a time, and is also fitted with an independent battery allowing the refrigerator to be operated for around 16 hours without a power supply.

The fridge can be also charged by the vehicle while driving, and from an external power source when parked.

Designed for developing countries

Toyota said vaccines normally require storage at 2°C to 8°C, and cannot be used if not stored under proper temperature management. It added that around 20 percent of all vaccines supplied worldwide are disposed of each year because they become unusable due to temperature changes during the final stage of transportation.

This often includes the journey to a hospital or clinic, as there may be no refrigerated transport in developing countries.

As well as supplying vaccines for children, Toyota said the converted 4×4 can be used under the international framework COVAX, which seeks to distribute vaccines for Covid-19 fairly to developing countries.

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A retro Chevrolet El Camino, featured on the TV show Fast N’ Loud, has sold for £31,500 in the UK. 

Built in the twelfth season of the Discovery Channel programme, the Chevy pickup was extensively modified by Aaron Kaufman. 

It made for a rare opportunity to buy an El Camino on this side of the Atlantic, and one with a genuine claim to fame.

No monkeying around

For the uninitiated, Fast N’ Loud focussed on the Texas-based Gas Monkey Garage. Led by the larger-than-life Richard Rawlings, the programme became known for building crazy cars over short timescales. 

Building a modified Chevrolet El Camino, ahead of schedule, was the challenge laid down for the Gas Monkey Garage crew. 

Closer in concept to ‘utes’ favoured in Australia, the El Camino was a light duty pickup based upon the Chevrolet Malibu car. 

An acquired taste, even for Chevrolet fans, the El Camino used as a base on Fast N’ Loud was a low-mileage, one-owner, example.

Faster and louder

The original engine was ditched, and replaced with a 416-cubic inch (6.8-litre) modified Chevy V8 engine. Producing more than 600 hp, and with a six-speed manual gearbox, this is a serious performance machine. 

Ridetech suspension and Wilwood brakes were installed to keep everything under control. The Toyo Proxes tyres are even noted as still having plenty of tread left. 

On the outside, sinister black paintwork is the main change, although the custom-made alloy wheels are a neat touch. A combination of suede and leather can be found inside the cabin, with Vintage Air cooling also added.

“Get you some of that!”

Despite the effort that went into transforming the El Camino, a total of just 980 miles have been recorded on the odometer since. 

Fully registered in the UK after being imported, the Chevy has an MOT that lasts until June 2021. 

Finding a Chevrolet El Camino this side of the Atlantic is a rarity. Finding one that appeared on a hit TV programme was arguably a unique opportunity.

Such special enthusiast appeal resulted in an intense bidding war, pushing the final selling price to £31,500.

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